Harlem Rugelach Reveries

I adore rugelach. Actually, anything drenched in sugar, cinnamon and butter enthralls me but that's not the point. The point is that I have sampled authentic, oven-warmed rugelach in Austrian cafes. I have munched on kosher rugelach from Jewish bakeries. I've even tried generic rugelach from big chain grocery stores. But none of them have managed to inspire the buttery heaven that Mr. Lee's rugelach from Lee Lee's Baked Goods, conjures within me. Ensconced on a West Harlem side street, Lee Lee's store window proclaims "rugelach by a brother." It's not exactly the phrase you'd expect for a traditional Eastern European treat but Mr. Lee was trained by a Rabbi to create perfect rugelach.



Mr. Lee's secret it seems, is that unlike most bakers, he skips cheap vegetable shortening and creates handmade butter dough for his rugelach. The flaky dough literally melts in your mouth and the generous sprinkling of raisins and nuts make them seriously addictive. Proclaimed by the New York Times as "buttery, magnificent and fleeting," Mr. Lee's rugelach incites customers to journey from all over New York to snag his apricot or chocolate pastries baked daily.


Of course, Lee Lee's Baked Goods doesn't just sell rugelach. The kindly Mr. Lee also serves up honey nut pound cake shown above, sweet potato pie, red velvet and lemon cakes,to name a few of the sweet offerings. But none of them tempt you quite as much as the rugelach.